Into the Fire
by Burnwick
Summary: Aang’s death was quickly dismissed by most there was no time to grieve,now that the Fire Lord ruled. It's been 3 years now & Katara still dreamt of the 12 yearold and The Banished Prince is back and strangely drawn to Katara.Rebels, love, and death
1. Smoke

_Warnings: I don't yet know where I am planning to go with this so I'm going to slap a few warnings on this…Swearing will happen most likely…and…umm…just…don't read it if you don't like …if your easily bothered…I don't like flames…_

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the fallow characters in this story…if I don't I will tell you though._

_Enjoy though…_

Aang's death was quickly dismissed by most; there was no time to grieve, not now that the Fire Lord ruled. Only a few survived the brutal attacks. Earth benders were killed on site, fear of the Avatar reappearing. Those who did live went into hiding or joined a rebellion. Hope becoming a distant memory with each counted death. No one would speak of the Avatar anymore it only brought on more pain. The Avatar was forgotten…Aang was forgotten.

It has been three years now, since that day. Katara still dreamed of the twelve-year-old Air- Bender and how he failed the world he carried on his shoulders. She wanted so badly to let the young monk go, but he haunted her nightly.

"_Katara, please, you have to stay-" Aang whispered to her each night._

"_This is my journey too, Aang I should be able to see it end." Katara would protest her eyes welling up with tears, only a child then._

"_But if I let something happen to you now, you will never see the end of our journey. Please, Katara this part of the journey belongs only to me," And with that he left her alone._

_He died alone…_

Abruptly Katara sat up choking on her own silent scream, sweat running down her temples, "Damn" She hissed trying to settle her breaths until all she could hear Sokka's quiet snoring. She smiled at her older brothers back, he had managed to completely toss his blankets on to the dirt floor and tangled his feet in his sheets. She used to feel like the older sister when they were younger but after Aang…died Sokka took charge and grew-up.

To night was a hot night and sweat trickled down the young mans tan scarred back. The scars happened after the Fire Nation attacked the Earth Kingdom, they were looking for all benders, Katara included. He was captured in the process, interrogated, whipped and burned. He never spoke a word; never so much as let a whimper cross his lips. Now he spoke so little one would think he was on a vow of silence. Katara found herself missing her brother as much as Aang, and she knew both were equally as lost.

Katara rubbed her eyes and looked around the hut. It was mostly empty except for the two cots and a small table they ate their meals at. With a sigh she tossed her blankets to the side and slid out of bed, quickly pulling on her clothes; there would be no more sleep tonight.

The camp was small; more full of lost families than fighters. The war was over, with the exception of these small rebellion groups, to weak to make an impact and not enough communication to regroup. The camp was silent a few guards stood diligently at their posts, they acknowledged Katara as she past them.

"Good morning, Katara." Jet smiled from his perch in the tree above; she wasn't completely sure how or when he had ended up apart of their group he just showed up one day and never left. Sokka made sure he knew he was in charge and that didn't seem to bother Jet. Katara nodded at Jet and continued; she however never got over what kind of person he was when they met, she believed he would flood another city had he had the chance.

She walked to the shore of a near by river, the sand was scorched, a worn battlefield and as she looked around she began to recognize the area. "This is where Aang tricked Admiral Lou in torching his own ships." She chuckled to herself.

_Crack_!

"Hello?" She hissed turning and she crouched into a fighting stance, not daring to bend water. She's long learned to fight without her powers.

She watched as the brush gave way to a pale hand. A young man stood before her, not from her camp. He had a strong athletic build and he held his head up high, his brown hair fell in his golden eyes, a large scar tracing one of them the scar running from the bridge of his nose and over his ear. The Banished Prince, most assumed he was dead, Katara included. A smile danced on his lips. "I wish I could have seen that…though at the time I doubt I would have appreciated it."

Katara didn't know whether to hold her stance just in case he choose to attack, though he would have nothing to gain from it, he was still banished probably killed on sight if the Fire Nation found him. So she let her arms fall to her side. He looked the same to her, larger and few more scars on his forearms, but war scars the body so that didn't surprise her and he looked even more caulis if that was possible. "Tunnel Vision." She replied.

"What?" Zuko frowned walking more into the clearing, closer to her.

"That's why we was easily tricked, all he could see was Aang he forgot what was around him." Speaking the Avatars name made him flinch, Katara as the only one who could speak it without reacting.

The Prince couldn't hold the girls gaze so he turned to the waters looking to the rising sun. It was awkward both of them standing there after all this time, not being enemies. Why should they he was not apart of the Fire Nation and the only thing that made them enemies before was gone. She wanted to ask him questions she always left unsaid before but none of them came to mind.

Katara closed her eyes breathing in the hot morning air and let it out. Everything was slowly falling more and more away. Zuko's presences only made her more aware of that. They were no longer enemies because Aang was dead and that was the only reason.

"I-"

_BANG!! _Fire alit the sky. "OUR CAMP! SOKKA!" Katara screamed as she dashed back toward the encampment, forgetting Zuko and what he was about to say. Zuko fallowed.

_BANG!! _As she ran back she paused looking up at the tree Jet was perched in earlier, now we laid limply on the branch. "Jet…" She sighed looking away from him. She did not like him but he did not deserve this.

_BANG!_ Smoke began to fill the air. "SOKKA!" Katara screamed heading toward the camp.

Zuko grabbed her by the arm. "What do you think you are going to do? Stop them by yourself?" He hissed pulling her close to his face.

"My _Brother_ is in there." She growling wrenching her arm from him.

"How are you going to save a dead man, if your dead yourself?"

"Sokka is not dead!" She screamed like she would have three years ago and if she had thought of is she would have stomped her foot. "And I didn't ask you!"

Zuko said something but she didn't hear it screams filled her ears and the crackling of the fire. Shaking her head she ran into the camp blindly smoke filling her lungs. Everything was dark her eyes stung and her lungs burning with each breath she took through the sleeve of her shirt. "SOK-kuuf-KA!" She coughed. The screams of the people in the camp covered her calls.

The prince stood out side of the camp the smoke and the fire pouring out of it into the forest. He considered leaving the girl for dead; she was obviously suicidal after all. "Damn." Shaking his head he took in a deep breath and pulled the neck of his shirt up over his mouth and nose.

(To be continued….)


	2. Trust

_Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from this story thus far…so don't sue me or whatever._

_Warnings: I have none…nothing really happens yet…Oh I have one watch out for those typos their deadly! -'_

If Zuko hadn't followed Katara into the fire she probably would have burned alive, looking for her brother. She knew that bitterly but now her only hope was that Sokka got out before the Fire Nation found him; but she knew him better than that. Sokka would have stayed and fought to get every last person out of that camp even if it killed him (and it might have). Though if Sokka _was_ still alive he would be with the Fire Nation now, and who knows what they would do with him. For his sake she hoped he was with their mother but for her own, she hope for his life.

Katara let out a long relieving sigh as she sunk into the cool spring water; it felt good on her burnt back. She managed to burn most of her exposed skin in the fire, but Zuko, Zuko came out completely fine, not even a scratch on his body. She still felt anger toward him; she wanted nothing more than to hate him, though he_ did_ just save her life even if he was a little rough about it.

Zuko stared out at the water for a moment Katara stood there with only he shoulders exposed. She was rolling her head on her shoulders deep in thought. Her hair was let down only the ends of it wet yet. "I have-"he began snapping himself out of his daze.

"What are you doing!?" Katara screamed as the blood rushed to her face faster than she knew what was going on. Quickly she dunked into the water so only her head was exposed. "I'm bathing!"

He raised his eyebrow slowly staring at the Waterbender; he wasn't embarrassed he didn't even completely understand what he had done wrong. In the fire nation it was common to bath together, male and female alike. "So," he began again.

"Turn around." She hissed throwing water into his face. The Southern Water Tribe did not feel the same way.

"What the-"he sputtered at the slap of water to his face. "Fine," he grumbled turning around.

"I have dinner ready back at camp when ever you're done _bathing_," he rolled his eyes and marched away.

"Maybe I shouldn't have splashed him," she mused to herself after he was out of sight. "But then again he shouldn't have just walked up like that, he should have warned me." She grumbled.

After some time and after her skin started to turn to prunes Katara pulled herself out of the water, with the burns on her body completely healed now. She pulled on her clothes and wondered back to their make shift camp. Zuko at least had some supplies that he would share for the time being until she could manage to get some of her own.

It was almost nightfall by this point and the sky was lit a bright pink, the tree casting large shadows over the camp. The prince sat by the fire it's light dancing on his face while he ate. She noticed a plate of fish was sitting by the fire for her. It also looked like he had pulled some logs around the fire pit for them to sit on and there was a small tent she guessed they were to share.

Zuko cast a glance at the girl than turn back to the fire. He knew she was there and she hadn't made a noise. Slowly she walked over and settled on the other log, more awkward silence.

She suddenly wasn't sure if she should apologize fore splashing him or not, but decided he had it coming if not for sneaking up on her but for all the other evil things he had done in the past was a good enough reason. Bitterness seemed to wreak more havoc on her heart than she ever thought it was possible.

"Here," He said holding out the plate now. She nodded reaching for it and he pulled it back. "Or am I going to get splashed for offering it," he smirked raising his eyebrow.

With a sigh Katara took the plate from him, "No, and you had it coming."

"Sure," Zuko chuckled putting a mouth full of fish into his mouth. He watched her while he ate carefully, almost untrusting. It unnerved her; how his eyes ever left her. She tried avoiding eye contact by looking into the fire. It had no wood to it; it burned merely because _He _was there. It was bizarre sitting with a Firebender and not wanting him dead. Her eyes fell back on to him and he still stared. His golden eyes scanning her analyzing her it made her skin crawl. "Your necklace, it's gone." He said after he finished the food in front of him.

"Oh, um…" She stuttered how long had she been staring at him, she hadn't even touched her food and his was gone. "It got stolen." she whispered reaching for wear it used to be. That was a lie though; she had sold it for medicine for a small girl about a year ago; the girl died anyway. She'd planned to buy it back but when she returned it was gone, she cried for months afterward. She still can hardly bare loosing part of her past like that.

He sat there for a while watching her face some more then reached into his bag pulling out a small worn pouch. "Here, this might belong to you then." He said the words almost too fast for her to understand him then he looked away almost, ashamed.

Katara cautiously took the pouch from him and stared at it. She dared not hope what she already hoped it to be. She felt the leather pouch in her hand it smells of sandalwood much like he did, he must have been carrying it for a while. She hesitated to open it as she slowly tugged at the strings if it wasn't what she hoped she would cry and if it was she would also cry. And with a shake the small blue choker fell into her lap.

The tears didn't come at first; like she had expected, she only stared at the glossy stone, her grandmother's engagement necklace; to a man she never married. Carefully she put it around her neck, it felt strange rubbing against her skin but very familiar. The tears ran down her cheeks. She wouldn't have found the words to thank the Prince even if she had the voice to speak them. And with that she trusted him.


	3. Suicidal Intent

_It's not much but I'm working on it slowing._

_Disclaimer: Again I Do Not Own The Characters Of __Avatar: The Last Air Bender__. I Only Control What They Do WithIn My Text._

_Warnings: Sokka Swears…Nothing much so far._

The air smelt of sulfur, how he hated that smell, how he hated them. His mouth tasted of metallic blood, which distracted him from the smell, his hands were tied and so were his feet. _They_ probably thought he was a bender, he wouldn't tell them either way though.

Sokka kept his eyes to the ground and only listened to the voices he heard. He could hear some of the children from the camp crying but none of their mothers, and the voice of a few benders. The children were only alive for now until they realized none of them were the Avatar then they would die._ If only the Fire Lord was this careful to begin with. _ He thought with a painful memory of Aang, quickly he pushed it to the side trying to think of ways out of here.

"Rebels" He heard on of the soldiers declare.

_No, not rebels. Families, Helpless families you killed without a second thought. . . Bastards._ Sokka bit his lip to keep from yell or from crying he wasn't sure which.

"And the Children?" The commanding officer asked grabbing onto a girls chin looking into her hazel eyes.

"It will take sometime to check, sir." He replied. "We'll send word as soon as we know, sir," The soldiers voice cracked, young, probably younger than Sokka, he made a note of that, this might be easier than he thought.

"And this one why is he still alive?" The general hissed grabbing onto Sokka.

"Ah, yes that one." One of the other soldiers perked up. "He's from the water tribe. _I_ brought him back for questioning, sir."

"I see…well then-" he began.

_Phht!_ The mixture of blood and spittle splattered the general's chin.

"You Fucking!" The General roared raising a fiery fist than he stopped himself and stared at the _boy_ of the water tribe. "Put him with the others." He stated quickly as he wiped his chin with his sleeve. "_I'll_ deal with him later."

"Fuck you." Sokka growled. He didn't know where the sudden suicidal intent came from but he was going to run with it.

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End file.
